CURATOR

A pinboard by

I am a Ph.D student at Rice University, working with Dr. Sibani Lisa Biswal.

PINBOARD SUMMARY

I study the dynamics of single fibers in solution, how their dynamics can be predicted and controlled, and the effect they have on bulk solution. As an everyday thought experiment, one can imagine a system akin to hair in a pool of water, and how strands behave when the liquid is forced, such as when it is flushed or drained; each individual strand may be inconsequential, but the cumulative effect can have considerable effects, such as clogging of a drain. There is also the reverse, where perhaps driving the motion of the strand can in turn cause the liquid to flow.

As it is difficult to study these effects at the molecular level, we work with a magnetic colloidal particle chain system which is larger and easier to control than molecular chains, but still 10-100 times smaller in scale than fibers such as human hair. On the one hand, we use these chains as a model system with which to study the forces and scaling arguments of molecular systems for many real materials, such as carbon nanotube solutions and plastics. On the other hand, we are also able to control these chains using external magnets to act as micro-machines, forming miniature pumps, mixers, and swimmers.